Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1887-01-13

II you feel ag'in man, do n favor for
him, an you are sure TO like him better.
There's Squire Adams-I used TO hate
him like fury; but since I've been in the
habit Of lending him my yoke OF oxen,
I've got the better on it"
"Well, grandpa, I'll go to school just
one day longer to lend 'em to his daugh-
ter. Such fixed up city girls haven't the
slightest idea of how to have good
time. l might bring them down here and
show them how it is done"
So, to the surprise of everybody, the
following day Wild Becky appeared at
school. The scholars all laughed as she
came tearing in, and making q queer lit
tie bob, which did duty as q courtesy,
begged to be forgiven for yesterday mis-
doings.
Perhaps Miss Peters knew by instinct
what q penance this was to the child, or
it may be that, in spite Of her prim little
way, she had real sympathy for Becky,
and disapproved of the offensive manner
of her assistant At all events, the mat
ter was lightly treated, and the "wild
girl" was soon established in her seat.
At recess the girls paired off two by
two, but no one spoke to her.
''Dcar DEAR" thought the child; mo
body isn't nobody here unless they are
couple, and amt"
When the afternoon session broke up
that day haycart, with two big work
horses, stood drawn up before the fash
ionable establishment. The bottom CT
the cart was strewn thickly with fragrant
hay, while old Farmer Miller, in his
shirtsleeves, held the reins. Cynthia
Adams was one of the last to leave the
schoolroom. Who can describe her as
constituent when, upon gaining the yard,
she beheld Wild Becky standing upon
horse block and actually inviting those
city girls to "hitch on" Most of the
scholars looked as Mortified as Cynthia eX-
pected but Millic King and four or five
| other jolly souls tumbled in for the fun
| of it.
Farmer Miller shouted to Miss Peters
that he'd bring 'cm homo safe and
sound afore bedtime, and, cracking his
whip, they were soon rattling down the
hill, the girls getting such q shake up as
they had never had before; but they held
on to the poles like monkeys, filling the
way with their merry shouts and laugh
ter, and by the time they had reached the
long winding road through the pine
woods they were thoroughly enchanted
| with their novel mode of riding.
! Such queer, homcly house as it was
before which they stopped! Becky didn' t
try to hide any part of it, but made them
welcome to the whole, and to the great
| barn, too, with its numberleSS hiding
| places, initiating them at once into the
most approved way of sliding down hay
mows and riding on the barn doors. She
took them across the meadows to the
stream, with the little grove beside it,
and there they tished for trout; not that
they caught enough to boast of, for only
the most yenturesomc of fishes would
bite in that uproar of voices. When they
go3 tired of that sport they chased the
cClts to the orchard and hunted out the
squirrels, with whom Becky carried on
such u droll makc-bclicve conversation
that the girls, as they said, ''almost died
of laughing.
The sun was getting low and the grass
was all purple with shadows when she
brought out table and said that they
would have their supper under the
shade of great buttcrnut tree.
''This is the time they'll laugh,''
thought Becky; "but let 'em. couldn't
get up genteel tea to save my life, and
| shan't try.n
And sure enough the girls did laugh
To see such great platters of smoking
hot sweet corn, such huge pitchers OF
creamy milk, such stacks of freshly
picked berries, was enough to make any
hungry girl laugh, and in way very
pleasant to hear.
Then followed @ shake down on the
smooth floor of the barn, accomplished
by the aid of Farmer Miller, who whis
tied the tune of 'Over the Hills and FaI
Away" from the corn bin.
1t wasn't until the young moon shone
out clear and silvery that the young girls
found themselves in the haycart riding
brisllly forward to the school.
II believe [ never had such gooi
time in my life BEFORE" cried Millie a.
she saw, with regret, the outline of thu
building through the trees.
Nor l, nor I, nor - was heard in an
swer.
Farmer Miller recognized one of thu
voices and blessed it in his heart L
was Wild Becky's. AS the others lef
them she crawled ever to her grand
fathers side and laid her hand, warn
| iioii UiiO SldlClul SlaSp VI lhO sShoO1
girls, on his arm.
This started better state of thing
with Becky. She began to truly like th'
girls, then she loved one or two dearly
in true schoolgirl, fashion; and to b.
worthy of their love she tried to improv,
her manners. Next came ambition il
her studies, and as under it all lay
deep affection for the good grandfather
she came out at the end of the year one o
the brightest, happiest girls in the school
There were outbreaks of mischief nov
and then. AS the old man roared to tn
teacher one day, "She couldn't be tamet
all at once;" but this little girl had u
last found the golden key, And so, il
frightening the lives of the unhappy an,
in making sunshine for all, Becky be
came in time q lady in every sense O
that misused term.-Chicago Tribune.